


Here I Love You

by Ceares



Category: The Sentinel, White Collar
Genre: Community: whitecollar_bb, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-09-16
Updated: 2011-09-16
Packaged: 2017-10-23 19:34:48
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,488
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/254075
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ceares/pseuds/Ceares
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>Mozzie scanned another page of the book, glancing up at Neal with sparkling eyes. “This is amazing! Do you realize the things we can do with this kind of power? We can be super criminals !” Moz was practically floating on bubbles of excitement.</i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	Here I Love You

Here I Love You

 

I:

Peter knew there was trouble even before Hughes called him to his office. He’d been ‘itchy’ for want of a better description, all day. Okay to be honest, he’d been ‘itchy’ since this whole thing started. He hated loaning Neal out to other teams. It never turned out well. After the Rice fiasco, Hughes usually agreed but Art Crime's case was wrapped up in office politics and Peter’s objections had been ‘duly noted’-- agency spin for ‘we don’t really give a shit what you think’.

Worse though was the fact that Neal had wanted to do it. Ever since things had wrapped up with Adler, he’d been, rudderless according to Elizabeth, restless and bored according to Mozzie. Whatever word fit, Peter was worried. It wasn’t like he didn’t know that Neal had stayed first to look for Kate and then to find out what happened to her. He’d just hoped Neal had stayed for other reasons too. He’d hoped building something new was enough to keep Neal there, but he could feel Neal slipping away. Neal volunteering to work with Art Crime was a marker of that.

 

Hughes held up a hand when he walked into the office. “Before you say anything, Caffrey’s okay.”

Peter’s stomach flipped over. “But?”

“But it turns out that Dennings’ contact didn’t mention that Marks is more of a stick than a carrot kind of guy. He locked Neal in an underground room for a few days and kept him short on food and water. “

“Son of a bitch!”

“It all worked out in the end, Neal convinced Marks he’d go along with him and took the money, so we’ve got Marks on all charges. Neal even overheard Marks talking about where he’d stashed the hauls from his previous thefts. Art Crimes is ecstatic, and now they owe us one and extra for what happened to Neal.”

Peter swallowed a sarcastic comment as Hughes grinned at him.

“Don’t worry. They checked Caffrey out after and he was fine.”

 

Or he said he was. Peter knew Neal, and he wouldn’t show weakness to a bunch of strangers unless it was to his advantage. “Reese, the deal was for Neal to be under my supervision. Part of that is protecting him."

 

Reese sighed. “Peter, you know I’ve been leery about this from the beginning. Your solve rate with Caffrey is terrific but I worry about your personal relationship. You can’t forget that one of the letters of CI stands for criminal.”

“I know exactly what Neal is. Does being a criminal mean that he doesn’t deserve the protection of this agency when he’s working for us?”

“Of course not, and Dennings will be called to account for reckless endangerment if nothing else but you can’t go storming over there like a one man rescue squad, ignoring protocol and endangering the case just because it’s Neal.”

“That’s not what this is about.”

One brow went up in disbelief. “Really? Tell me you’d react the same way if it was another one of your agents.”

“Okay I wouldn’t but they’re trained for this. Neal isn’t.”

“Peter, I’m thinking of assigning Neal to another team.”

“What?” He froze, breath caught in his chest.

Hughes shook his head. “Not permanently, but I think you need to step back from this until you can separate your personal and professional relationship. Art Crimes was very happy with his work and Kramer would be happy to have him.”

“You can’t send him to DC, Reese!” Peter couldn’t control the desperation in his voice even though he knew it was the sort of thing that made Hughes case for him.

Hughes shook his head. “Let’s not talk about it now. We can worry about it after Neal is back in the office.”

Reese Hughes had been Peter’s mentor and friend since he’d joined the White Collar division. Peter liked and respected him on both a personal and professional level, aspired to be like him and for the first time since knowing him, Peter had to control the urge to punch his boss in the face.

 

**********

 

Neal looked...

“Fine. I’m fine, Peter.”

Peter reached out and tilted Neal’s head up, running a finger lightly over his bruised cheek. He tried not to mind when Neal shrugged away from him and turned around. Neal opened the refrigerator and handed Peter a beer, grabbing himself a bottle of water.

“It’s not the first time I’ve missed a few meals.”

“What happened to your face?”

“Marks had goons. That’s what goons do, they shove you around.”

“You want a few days out of the office?” Neal might be cavalier about his health and welfare but Peter couldn’t be.

“Nah, I’m good. “

“Neal.”

“Seriously, Peter. Now, since you’re here, tell me about Jones’ new girlfriend. Diana said she works at the hospital where Christie does.”

Peter shook his head. “You’re such a gossip girl.”

Neal laughed, which was the whole point of Peter embarrassing himself. “Look at you with the pop culture knowledge, even if it is a couple of years behind.”

 

**********

“Honey you don’t think he’d really separate you and Neal do you?” Elizabeth wrapped her arms around him and rested her chin on his shoulder.

Peter sighed. “I don’t know. Maybe he’s right. Maybe we could use a breather."

El came around in front of him and took his face between her palms. “You don’t mean that.  
You’re better together. "

“I let him get away with too much because of the way I feel about him.”

“And he does a lot less than he could get away with because of the way he feels about you. We both know Neal could be gone anytime he wanted to. How long do you think he’s going to stick around if Reese assigns him somewhere else?”

Peter was a little ashamed of the flare of joy and relief in his gut when El gave him a legitimate reason to keep Neal--one Reese couldn’t argue with. It was selfish. He wasn’t thinking about what was best for the Bureau or even what was best for Neal; he just couldn’t bear to think of his days without him.

He pulled El in for a kiss. “I love you. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

She grinned against his mouth. “Well you don’t have to worry about finding out. I’m not going anywhere.”

 

**********

 

Hughes reluctantly agreed with Elizabeth’s reasoning, though Peter could tell he wasn’t happy about it. And Peter appreciated what Reese was trying to do; it was just a little too late for him to not be personally involved with Neal. It might have been too late nine years ago.

Peter didn’t mention what Hughes had said to Neal. He was fidgety enough as it was and Peter didn’t want to spook him. Since the Marks incident Neal was jumpier than he had been before even though he still insisted that Marks hadn’t really hurt him.

 

Neal was currently sitting in his chair, head back, eyes closed.

“You okay?”

He sat up. “Yeah, just a headache. I think Egerton spilled a whole bottle of cologne on himself.”

Peter frowned. “That’s the third headache this week.”

Neal grinned and shrugged. “People have been particularly pungent lately. Moderation is just a concept to some people.” He grabbed a folder and stood up. “I’m gonna go get some fresh air.”

Peter shrugged it off, or tried to--after all, Neal was a grown man, but when he found him in the stairwell, pale and looking like he was about to throw up Peter gave up pretending.

“I want you to go see a doctor.”

“Peter.”

“Look, I know the grifter health plan wasn’t exactly the best but the government is footing the bill so make an appointment.”

Neal half nodded, still looking wan. Peter reached out reflexively and felt his forehead, which was cool and a little clammy. “Do you want me or El to go with you?” He dropped the hand onto Neal’s shoulder.

“I’m not five, Peter.”

“Yeah? Then stop acting like it and take care of yourself.” He added a shoulder squeeze and a little shake.

Neal looked at him and Peter was relieved to see his color had improved and the grin actually looked real this time.

“Yeah, okay.”

 

**********

 

They had a fortunate lull in serious cases, which meant they spent a lot of time in the office combing through cold case files. It also meant they got to go home when they were supposed to and stay there. It was almost like working a regular ‘nine--to--five’.

“This is nice.”

He and El were curled up on the sofa watching a movie that had been in their Netflix queue forever waiting for them to have some time together.

“It is.”

Elizabeth snuggled closer. “How much do you hate it?”

“I don’t.”

“Hon.”

He tightened is arms around her. “I’m not saying I want to do this forever--well, maybe this part--but this little break is nice.” And it was. If he was still a little worried about Neal, well that was pretty much his natural state.

Elizabeth leaned her head back and looked up at him with a fond grin. “Very nice. But don’t worry, Sweetie. I’m sure the criminal element will get back to business soon enough.”

 

They had dinner separately or as a group with Neal and Sara, Diana and Christie and Clinton and his new girlfriend Amanda. Mozzie popped up on at least two occasions and invited himself in. It was all _nice_ , just like Peter’d said but he could feel the boredom creeping around the edges and he saw the same look in his team's eyes.

 

**********

 

Neal was picking at his plate and Peter noticed he’d only had a few bites even though he’d shoved the food around to mask that. He knew it wasn’t the job as calm as things had been and as far as he knew, things were going good between Neal and Sara. Peter was happy about that--really. She wasn’t a substitute for Kate, certainly, but Neal was a romantic at heart and having some place to focus that was good for him. Whatever secret, impractical fantasies Peter might have were just that, fantasies.

Elizabeth glanced at Neal and then looked over at him with a slight frown. Peter had told her about Neal's headaches and he knew El was as worried about Neal as he was. She raised a brow and tilted her head infinitesimally toward the kitchen.

Peter nodded slightly. After ten years he was an expert in silent El speak. He turned and grinned at Sara and Neal. “Okay, we’re getting the dishes. Right, Neal?”

“Sure.” Neal grinned as he grabbed plates off the table, but it was definitely strained.

Peter grabbed his own handful and followed Neal into the kitchen.

Neal turned on the water and stared rinsing plates.

“Okay, you wanna tell me what’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

“I thought you were going to the doctor?”

Neal rolled his eyes. “I did, Peter.”

“And?”

“And nothing. I’m fine as far as they can tell.”

Peter leaned against the sink and folded his arms. “So why aren’t you eating then?”

“Everything just tastes weird. Too salty, too spicy, too...everything. I might be coming down with a cold or something, nothing serious.”

Peter sighed. “Okay but I expect you to keep on top of this, Neal. I don’t want June calling me in the middle of the night telling me you’re dying of the pneumonic plague or something.“

Neal laughed. “Don’t worry, it’d probably be Mozzie, from twenty miles away, in a hazmat suit.”

“Like that makes it better.” Peter laughed as they turned back to the dishes.

They washed and dried companionably for a little while, then Neal laughed again.

Peter looked at him questioningly.

“Elizabeth is showing Sara the photo album. Including pictures of the infamous 'stache’.”

“How do you know that?”

“I can hear them.”

Peter listened but all he could hear was the faint murmur of voices. He narrowed his eyes at Neal who looked at him blamelessly. When they finished up and went back out, Sara immediately teased him about the mustache and he was too busy chiding El to really wonder how Neal had heard exactly what was going on.

Nothing was ever easy with Neal though. He seemed fine over the next few weeks and Peter pushed the whole thing to the back of his mind. They caught a tax scam, which he knew bored the team to tears since it involved a lot of numbers. He on the other hand enjoyed putting his accounting skills to work again. Even that was wrapped up in a couple of weeks though. Everything was going so well that he should have been expecting something to go spectacularly wrong.

 

**********

 

The phone ringing in the middle of the night was never good and Peter could feel Elizabeth tense in the bed next to him as she woke up. Neal calling in the middle of the night was pretty much disastrous. He was getting up and slipping on his clothes even as he answered the call.

“Neal, what’s wrong?”

 

“Peter, you need to get over here now.”

Mozzie on Neal’s phone worried him, Mozzie using his actual name scared him more than anything and he was out the door in less than five minutes after promising to call El as soon as he found out what was going on. Peter rode the gas all the way to June’s, trying not to think about all the things that could have happened to Neal. He’d had enemies before and he certainly hadn’t been making any new friends working for the FBI.

Peter expected to find Neal missing, or bleeding or even strapped to a bomb. What he didn’t expect to find Neal naked, curled up in the closet, eyes closed, hands clutching his ears, pale and in obvious pain.

Mozzie stood behind him, hands clutching his elbows--almost as pale as Neal. “He’s been like that for almost an hour. “

Peter knelt down next to Neal. “Why didn’t you call an ambulance?”

“No hospitals. Too many people, too loud.”

Neal’s voice was almost hoarse with pain and Peter found himself flinching. “What’s wrong, Neal?”

“I don’t know, everything hurts, it’s too loud, too bright, my skin is on fire.”

“Okay, okay. I have a friend who is a doctor. I’m going to call him to come over." Peter had lowered his voice almost unconsciously and he was carding his fingers through Neal’s hair. He started to stand up and Neal grabbed his wrist.

“Don’t go. It’s getting a little better. Just stay here for a minute.”

They sat like that with Mozzie leaning against the closet door watching the two of them thoughtfully. Neal’s body gradually relaxed and after a few minutes, he cautiously sat up.

Peter took a good look at him then, cataloging the lean, pale frame, skin closer to bone than it had been and the smudges of dark under his eyes. Some agent he was. He’d been so busy worrying about hanging on to Neal that he hadn’t seen this, had missed the obvious physical signs that something was wrong--something more than just Neal being bored and restless, something more than a cold.

“Do you want to go lie down?”

“Yeah.” Neal stood up and swayed a bit and Peter wrapped an arm around his--too thin--waist. Even with the weight loss, Neal was still a fantasy and Peter forced himself to ignore the feel of Neal’s body warm against his, and to concentrate on the fact that his friend was sick.

 

“How long has this been going on?” Peter kept his voice soft. He sat on the edge of the bed and Neal lay angled toward him, hand clutching the edge of his t-shirt. They’d turned off the lights and Mozzie had lit some candles, giving the whole room a quiet, moody atmosphere that reminded Peter of the night he’d learned the story of Neal and Vincent Adler.

“Since Marks.”

“Mozzie!” The protest was whispered

“What? It’s not like you’re going to tell him.”

“Why didn’t you say something?” Peter struggled to keep from shouting.

“Because you were already upset about it and I didn’t want to hear an ‘I told you so’. It’s honestly never been this bad, Peter.”

“This has happened before?”

Neal nodded. “A few times. It wasn’t a big deal, just a little extra sensitivity to stuff. I figured it was an allergy or something.”

Peter ignored Mozzie’s mumbling about secret chemical warfare experiments in the background.

“The stuff with Marks set it off but I thought it’d go away again."

“Okay, I’m still calling Steve to check you out. It’s either that or we head to the E.R.”

Peter went downstairs and called Steve who reluctantly agreed to come over. He preferred to meet them at the hospital but eventually gave in when Peter insisted. After he got off the phone with Steve, he called El who wanted to come over immediately. Peter persuaded her to wait until Steve had come at least, but he figured the chances of her not coming over to see Neal at some point that night were pretty slim.

 

Peter and Mozzie sat downstairs with June while Steve examined Neal. The three of them made small talk and tried not to look like they were worried, even though they weren’t fooling anybody, not each other and not themselves.

They all stood up when Steve came back down the stairs. He’d been up there less than an hour and Peter didn’t know if that was good or bad. Peter pulled him aside. “Steve what’s going on with him?”

“Peter, you know I can’t discuss that with you. “

“Even if I swear the paperwork is on file authorizing it?”

Steve sighed. “There’s not much to tell at this point. He seems fine for right now, but I want him in for tests.”

The three of them went back upstairs to where Neal was lying in the bed, pillows piled behind him, staring out the window.

Peter sat back on the edge of the bed. “You okay?”

“Yeah.”

“Neal, can I get you some tea or something?”

The smile he flashed was an echo of his usual charming grin. “That would be lovely, June.”

She smiled at him, but Peter could see the worry still written on her face. “I’ll go make you some of my special herbal blend.”

Neal looked at him then and Peter hadn’t seen him look so lost since the explosion. “He told you he wants me to come in for some tests.”

Peter nodded. “El or I will go with you this time. It’s going to be okay, Neal.”

“It’s not, Peter. Whatever this is, it’s getting worse. I could hear you.”

“What?”

“You and your Doctor friend. You and Moz and June. I could hear everything you said.”

“That’s impossible.” Only then did Peter realize Neal hadn’t been asking what Steve said, he’d been making a statement.

Neal nodded. “I know.”

“Neal, it’s not just your hearing is it?” June stood in the door with a tray, eyes wide with excitement. “Last week when I made that stew, you mentioned tasting cinnamon. I’d rinsed off a spoon I used for cookies and tasted the stew while I was cooking it. There shouldn’t have been enough residue left for anybody to notice, and no one else could taste it.”

He nodded. “Like I told Peter, sometimes I get extra sensitive to stuff. It’s everything I guess. Everything goes out of whack sometimes. "

“Weird visuals? Taste buds off the map? Hyperactive tactile response? Smelling things no one else can smell?”

June sounded like she was quoting from memory and Peter looked at her sharply, wondering what was going on.

Neal nodded. “Pretty much, yeah.”

"I have a friend who has a son that specializes in people like you.”

Mozzie frowned. He’d been fairly quiet until now, another sign of just how serious thing were. “Is he a psychiatrist? I mean I’m not Tom Cruise about it but I don’t think Neal needs anyone _else_ ”, a sharp glare at Peter followed, which Peter ignored, “ messing with his head.”

June shook her head. “No, he’s an anthropologist actually. A lovely boy. I believe he’s with the Cascade police department now as a consultant.” She nodded decisively and brought the tray over to the bed. “I’m going to call Naomi right now and see if I can get in touch with him.”

“I still want you to go in to see Steve.”

“Peter.”

“We need to cover all our bases, Neal.”

Neal nodded, but Peter could see he was reluctant. “Hey, whatever it is, we’ll deal with it together.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. We’re partners right?” Peter was happy to see the worried look fade slightly from Neal’s face. He grabbed his phone and hit speed dial. “Now here, talk to El before she loses patience and storms over here.”

 

**********

 

The tests didn’t turn up anything. Peter breathed his first relieved breath since he’d gotten Mozzie’s call. Steve suggested a psychiatrist and Peter didn’t tell him they’d be consulting with an anthropologist instead, he could imagine how that would go over. With a few phone calls on  
June’s part, Blair Sandburg had agreed to come to New York and talk to Neal. Now it was a matter of hoping he could help, and then dealing with whatever information he gave them. On Peter’s part, it was also a matter of finding out everything he could about the guy. June wasn’t naive by any means but she did have a soft spot for cons and Peter wanted to make sure this guy was legit before he let him near Neal.

Finding information on Dr. Sandburg wasn’t hard at all, which reassured Peter even if the accusations of fraud--later retracted--didn’t. The guy was a PhD and consulted with the Cascade police department. Apparently he rode along with a Detective Ellison, and was credited for contributing to Ellison’s pretty impressive solve rate. He was also apparently the foremost--five books, quite a few papers, a lecture series and a twice yearly seminar--if not the only authority on something called Sentinels. The information was mostly reassuring and Sandburg looked like a harmless academic in his photos--Ellison was a different story--but Peter was reserving final judgment until he met the man, which would be in about two weeks. He’d sworn he couldn’t get there any sooner with his schedule, and that he could come at all was mostly as a favor to his ‘aunt June’.

 

Elizabeth bought three copies of each of his books. Mozzie reached for his set with greedy hands and an eagerness Peter knew was half desire to help and half chance to see what angles he could work, which might bother Peter if he didn’t already know that when push came to shove, Mozzie would back Neal over a score. He’d proven that.

“Thank you, Mrs. Suit. If you’ll excuse me I’ll excuse myself to peruse these.” Rather than leave, he slipped into the backyard.

Neal settled on one end of the couch, Satchmo draped across his feet and Elizabeth curled up on the other end. Peter glanced between the two of them and they looked up almost in sync, giving him nearly identical grins before going back to reading. Peter wondered when this had become his life. He shook his head and smiled before grabbing a book off the pile and settling comfortably into his own chair.

 

**********

 

The double finger call was almost sheepish this time as Hughes called Peter up to his office. Neal was out on ‘sick’ leave until further notice. Telling Hughes what was going on had been hotly debated, but Peter had won out. He didn’t want Neal in the field until they figured out a way to control this thing. Without being upfront, they would have had to come up with a believable lie and despite what Neal and Mozzie thought, sometimes the truth was the easiest way to get what you needed. Hughes was a good guy to have in your corner and Peter was willing to take a chance that he would be in Neal's.

What he hadn't expected was that Sentinels were one of those ‘need to know’ items the government was kept up its sleeve or that Hughes would grin like he’d just gotten a new putter when he found out. Apparently Peter could have gone to Hughes to verify Doctor Sandburg’s credentials. Hughes mentioned him before Peter could even get his name out and was giddy when Peter said the man was coming to NewYork.

“That’s quite a coup, Peter. He usually is only available at his seminars.”

“June knows his mother.”

“Ah. Lucky us.” He sat down and steepled his fingers. “Peter, what we talked about before, I realize now it was just a Guide’s natural instinct coming out. From what I’ve read the bond between Sentinel and Guide is very strong.”

Peter wanted to tell him that he was wrong, that he’d behaved the way anybody would if Neal were in their charge but the truth was, he didn’t know. He didn’t know if the way he felt about Neal was because of a Sentinel/Guide thing between them. All he knew was that he’d always been drawn to Neal Caffrey. No one had actually come out and said that Peter was Neal’s Guide though he knew they were all behaving as if that were the case. He didn’t correct Reese’s assumption, it just made things easier and if it wasn’t true--and he tried not to feel a little panicky about that--they’d worry about correcting Reese later.

“We’ve officially added your house and the area surrounding it to Neal’s radius.” Hughes stood up and came over to him. “I’m not going to lie. Having a Sentinel and Guide team in our department is something of a coup. The fact that you’re one of the best at what you do is just a bonus.” Hughes patted him on the shoulder. “I have faith you can make this work, Peter.”

Peter thought about Neal curled up on the floor of his closet in pain and about how he would have done anything to fix that. He thought about Neal’s restlessness and about being even more tied to Neal than he already was. Peter stifled a sigh as he settled back in his office and thought about Reese’s last words to him. Faith. At least someone had it.

 

II:

 

Mozzie scanned another page of the book, glancing up at Neal with sparkling eyes. “This is amazing! Do you realize the things we can do with this kind of power? We can be super criminals !” Moz was practically floating on bubbles of excitement.

“One, we’re already super criminals. Two, did you forget I need Peter to control this?”

Mozzie’s face fell so fast that Neal had to stifle a laugh--the first time he’d felt like it since this whole thing started. “You can’t be sure...”

Neal thought about the way he’d started to feel better the minute Peter touched him. The way everything seemed to ease up when Peter was near him. “Pretty sure.”

“I don’t suppose there’s any way to talk the Suit into changing sides? He and Mrs. Suit actually have pretty good game. “

Neal did laugh this time. “I seriously doubt it. And I wouldn’t suggest it to Peter if I were you.”

“I’m not crazy you know.” Mozzie sighed and poured himself another glass of wine. “Oh well, it was a lovely thought while it lasted. Looks like your leash is permanent, my friend.”

That was exactly the problem. A part of Neal was gleeful at the thought of being linked to Peter permanently, but the saner part reminded him of all the ways this was a bad situation for everybody involved, especially for him. Needing Peter more than he already did was _not_ healthy for him.

 

“You’re gonna tell Sara?”

Neal nodded. “Yeah, after we meet with Doctor Sandburg.”

“Is that a good idea?” As much as Mozzie ragged on Peter about government conspiracies and freedom of information--like Neal, like any good con--Mozzie’s first instinct was secrecy.

“I don’t know, but it’d be kind of a dick move not to. Especially considering I could zone out or go into overload when I’m with her.”

Mozzie grinned. “Talk about coitus interruptus. I just thought it was verboten to mention it.”

“They couldn’t really enforce anything like that, Moz."

“That’s what they want you think.” He went back to reading but after a minute or so he stopped again.

Neal sighed and tucked his book marker in his own copy. “What?”

“I’m just thinking about what a great story this would make. I mean if there’s no gag order, we might as well get something out of it. Glamour it up, changes the names to protect the guilty of course. I could be the next J.K. Rowling or Stan Lee. As much as I flinch at honest work, for that kind of money, I’d do it."

“Mozzie.”

“Quiet, I’m trying to come up with your super hero name. Conman and the Suit sounds like one of those innumerable ‘quirky’ lawyer shows.”

“That is not funny.” Neal could imagine Peter’s face at just the idea of it.

Mozzie smirked. “I bet Mrs. Suit would think it was funny.”

“Elizabeth can’t kill you with her mind.”

“Ooh! Is that one of those ‘Guide’ powers?”

“Haha. Seriously, Moz. This is hard enough for Peter as it is. “

“You’re right, poor Suit trapped monitoring your every move, responsible for your care and well being...Oh wait.”

 

**********

 

June had offered her place for the initial meeting, but Peter had vetoed it. Neal had a feeling it had to do with Peter wanting to be in his own territory rather than any type of secrecy issues.

Neal wasn’t surprised when Detective Ellison got out of the taxi before Doctor Sandburg did. He’d read the books and knew about the bond between them, friendship, Sentinel and Guide, Blessed Protector. He’d have been more shocked if Ellison had let the other man travel across the country without him.

Doctor Sandburg did look very academic--short salt and pepper curls, glasses, jeans and a plaid flannel shirt over a tee-shirt--but more like a student than a professor, especially with the wide, boyish grin he gave them.

On the other hand, Jim Ellison screamed ‘cop’ in capital letters. He was graying around the edges too, but wore his hair in a close cut military crop. Steely blue eyes took in everything around him in a quick glance, then settled back on Neal, and narrowed warningly. Neal tried to look as innocent as possible. Ellison was exactly the kind of policeman Neal had always done his best to avoid--well, until Peter anyway--dedicated, implacable, unbribable. The kind of cop he used to think his father was.

Neal hadn’t realized he was holding Elizabeth’s hand until Dr. Sandburg’s eyes dropped down briefly. When Neal tried to pull away, Elizabeth tightened her grip, pulling their joined hands to rest against her thigh. And okay he’d told Peter he wasn’t five but he wouldn’t deny that something in him relaxed at the gesture, feeling just a little bit safer.

Sandburg smiled again. It was softer, reassuring and screamed ‘I’m not a threat’. Even though Neal could see through the technique, it still worked; he felt himself relax and he loosened his grip on Elizabeth’s hand. Impressive. He wondered if Dr. Sandburg had ever considered grifting.

“Okay, I can see we’re all a bit tense here. Do any of you meditate?”

Elizabeth giggled and then covered her mouth with her hand when both he and Peter turned to glare at her.

Sandburg’s sigh was sub-audible, but Neal caught it easily. From the way Ellison glanced at Sandburg and rolled his eyes, Neal knew he had as well.

“First of all, we’re Blair and Jim and you’re Neal, Peter and Elizabeth.”

At Peter’s look Sandburg grinned. “I live with a ‘slightly’ paranoid cop. He did his research, just like I’m sure you did, Peter.”

That earned a shrug and a small smile, but Peter seemed to relax a little more, which considering how tense he was, still left him somewhere along the lines of a cat in a rocking chair store.

Elizabeth nodded decisively. “Now that’s settled, can I get you something to drink?”

Blair and Jim exchanged looks, then Blair wielded that smile again. “Actually, I was hoping we could go out somewhere. Get on neutral ground so to speak.”

Neal stifled a grin as Peter’s look turned slightly sheepish. Exactly.

“There’s a pub right around the corner,so we could walk. It’s usually pretty quiet after lunch, would that work?” El asked.

“That sounds great.” Blair glanced over at Ellison. “Jim?”

Neal noticed Ellison seemed to have relaxed some as well, though there was an alertness still there that Neal bet never went away. “Yeah, that’s fine, Chief.”

Elizabeth was right about the non-existent crowd. There were a few people at the bar but only one table was occupied. They grabbed a table in the back that was sheltered in a little alcove that gave them some privacy. Jim, Blair and Peter all ordered beers while Neal ordered a bottle of wine for him and Elizabeth to share.

“So as I explain in my books...”

 

**********

 

Sara thought he was setting up for some elaborate con at first, but after a demonstration, she accepted what Neal told her. He offered Blair’s books to her and she did take at least one to look over.

“It seems like you’re all set though, with Peter as your guide and Doctor Sandburg and Detective Ellison here to work with you.”

“This is all kind of weird, and it’s going to take getting used to. Blair’s great though.”

Sara leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. “You’re nothing if not adaptable, Neal. How is this working out with you and Peter?”

He shrugged. “It’s not that much different really.”

She tilted her head and gave him a look that he didn’t quite get. “No, I imagine it’s not.”

He only had a moment to worry about it before she leaned back and started unbuttoning her blouse with a lascivious grin. “You said something about extraordinary touch sensitivity?”

 

**********

 

Training was actually kind of boring. Blair had him identifying scents and picking up conversations in crowd. Sure it was cool to be able to read a sign from blocks away but the truth was, that being a con had sort of already trained him for this. Part of what he had always done was isolate information so he could use it. The whole Sentinel thing just gave him more range.

He’d much rather have tested out his senses working a case but Hughes wouldn’t put them back in the field without an okay from Blair and both he and Peter were adamant about the training.

“Look Jim was working a case when his senses came back on-line--a bomber with a personal grudge against him--so we had to deal with stuff as it came along but that’s not the best method.”

Ellison snorted. “Listen to Blair, kid. It’s a lot easier to learn to deal with this stuff when there’s not a gun pointed at you or a bomb about to go off.”

Despite the original territorial issues, the Burke’s had become ‘home base’ for them. They’d wind up back there after dealing with Blair’s training exercises and usually order in or cook something. Blair was a good, if weird cook and he and El bonded over descriptions of some of the more unusual foods he’d tried. She was thinking about presenting a themed packaged based on them. ‘Around the World in Twenty Tastes’.

Most of the time, it was just easier for Neal to spend the night. Easier and he’d admit, at least to himself, that the closer he was to Peter, the better he felt.

 

**********

 

Neal told Blair about Sara, ignoring the faint frown that generated. “It’s not a problem right? Me telling her?”

Blair shook his head. “No. I just thought, I mean you and the Burkes....” he trailed off

“Peter and El are amazing friends.That’s all.”

“Hey, it’s all good, man.” He handed Neal one of the cups of coffee and sat down at the table across from him. “ They can’t exactly force people to keep it a secret though I’m sure they’d try if they thought it would work.”

Blair concentrated on putting cream and sugar in his coffee and when he looked back up at Neal his expression was faintly melancholy. “It’s not a conspiracy exactly though. Let’s just say once Sentinels became known, the government made a concentrated effort to make sure that most of them were working for them in some capacity. Given your background I think they wouldn’t have hesitated to coerce you if you weren’t already hooked up with the Feds. “

Neal cocked a brow at Blair’s candidness. “Should you be telling me this?”

Blair slid his glasses up his nose and contemplated Neal silently for a moment. “The reason I help them is the same reason I’m here, because I’m a Guide. It’s what I do. My priority is always Sentinels and Guides, not some Government agenda. “

Neal actually believed him, even though he knew,Moz would tsk and call him naive. Maybe it was some sort of natural reaction to a Guide, but Neal felt something in him unclench. Not that he didn’t trust Peter; Peter was the only one he trusted really, but there was some part of him that freaked at the idea that he had something that made him valuable to the Government. Part of it was Mozzie’s paranoia rubbing off on him but being considered a prize by ‘the man’ was nowhere near his list of life goals.

Being around Blair was soothing. Not in the same way as Peter, more like with Elizabeth. Sort of a soft focus where he had the same urge to be honest with Blair that he had with her. The same sense of being judged gently.

“So I guess my career choice kind of messes with your whole ‘protector’ theory, huh.” Neal knew he was coming off as defensive but he couldn’t help it. He’d never been ashamed of what he did, but inside of him a part was still the little boy who wanted to be a cop, to be a hero like he'd thought his father was; now according to Blair, that’s what he was meant to be. Somehow he’d screwed it all up.

“The senses don’t cancel out free will, Neal. The second Sentinel I ever met was an arms dealer who tried to kill me.”

Neal stared at him in horror, everything in him rebelling against the idea on a molecular level.

Blair shrugged, a rueful smile on his face. “In the end, Sentinel and Guide are still two people dealing with each other. They might have more to bind them together but there are no guarantees. Jim and I have had our rough patches, some worse than others. I expect we’ll have more in the future.”

“Then why do it? I mean, Jim needs you. I get that but you don’t have to do this.”

“I was never meant to do anything else." The smile he gave Neal was beatific. “I spent my whole life up to the day I met Jim wandering, looking. When we met, everything clicked into place. It isn't easy believe me, but it is worth it. On top of it, I’m head over heels for the guy.”

Neal stifled the shock of envy that clawed at him and shook his head. “Yeah, but that’s not Peter. He already has everything he needs. This is just, trouble, worry and complication.”

Blair put a hand on his shoulder. “But it’s different for every Sentinel and Guide pair. My reasons won’t be Peter’s just like Jim’s need isn’t yours.”

“I’m not a good guy. I’m not a protector”

“You protect your friends, the people you care about. You used to do bad things, now you do good things.”

Neal shrugged. “Not by choice.” He knew Peter was hoping some moral conscience would strike him like lightening and all of a sudden he’d regret all his past deeds and want nothing more than to walk the straight and narrow. It just wasn’t going to happen.

Blair tilted his head and stared at him questioningly. “Really? Because from what I’ve heard, you could disappear any time if you really wanted to.

“Maybe, but Peter...”

“Would be hurt, angry, disappointed? Are you afraid he’d come after you?”

Neal swallowed hard. “I’m afraid he wouldn’t.” That was the kicker wasn’t it? That was the reason he wished he could be what Peter wanted. He was afraid that one day, Peter would just get tired of trying, get tired of being disappointed and move on, turning his attention to somebody that could be what he wanted them to be.

“That’s still a choice, Neal.”

 

**********

 

“Hello, stranger.” Sara’s smile was wide and welcoming when Neal showed up at her office though he caught the edge of ‘something’ in her voice.

“Hello, gorgeous.” He leaned in and kissed her.

“Neal, this is Larry Holt. Larry, Neal Caffrey.”

Neal shook hands with the tall, well-dressed man who sat at the desk next to Sara’s.

“Nice to meet you. You’re something of a legend around here, Caffrey.”

“Oh?”

“Do you know how hard it is to get Sara out of the office?”

Neal grinned and turned back to Sara. “Let’s see. You free for dinner tonight?”

“Absolutely.”

Larry stood up and grabbed his jacket, flashing them both a grin. “Well there you go. You’re a miracle worker. I’ll see you tomorrow Sara.”

“Goodnight, Larry.”

 

“This is nice. It’s been a while.”

Neal hadn’t realized it but he hadn’t seen Sara in a week at least, and other than a few brief ‘hi,busy, will call you back’ phone calls, hadn’t talked to her either.

“Peter and Elizabeth busy tonight?”

“Elizabeth had a...” Neal trailed off as he realized the implications. Sara watched him steadily. “I’m sorry. I’m an ass. It’s just, Blair and Jim won’t be here for very long and we want to work with them as much as we can.”

Sara nodded, giving him a soft smile. “I get it, Neal. This is important.”

He reached across the table and laid his hand on top of hers. “You’re important too, and I’m sorry I’ve been neglecting you.”

She slid her hand out from under his and patted his hand gently. “You haven’t. You’ve been prioritizing.”

She came home with him and the sex was fantastic. It was also goodbye and they both knew it. He was dating a smart, beautiful woman with whom he had spectacular sex. How pathetic was it that his heart wasn’t in it and neither was his head? The fact that hers wasn't either only mitigated his guilt a little. She’d been great about the senses. Hell, she’d been great about everything. _She_ was great. He wished it was enough. He sat propped up against the headboard and watched her get dressed.

“So, you and Larry, right?”

Sara looked at him silently for a moment. “Yes, Larry.” She sighed and finished buttoning her blouse. “How did you know?”

“Your heartbeat increased and your pupils dilated when you talked to him .”

“We haven’t slept together, for what it’s worth."

He didn’t say ‘I know’. He got up and grabbed his tee shirt, pulling it over his head. “So what’s he like?” He kept his tone light. He carefully didn’t ask why. There was no need to make this hard. Besides, if she asked him the same thing, he couldn’t answer.

She heard the unspoken question anyway. “He’s a nice guy--uncomplicated and easy and he’s not in love with someone else.”

“A part of me will always love Kate. I can’t help that, but I’ve moved on.”

Sara shook her head. “Oh, if it was Kate, I’d take my chances but I can’t compete against the entire Burke household including Satchmo.” She picked up her purse and draped it across her shoulder. “And don’t bother to tell me I’m wrong, because I’m not. I knew you envied them, I just thought it was because you wanted what they had. I didn’t realize, at first, it was because you wanted to be a part of it.”

She leaned down and kissed him on the cheek. “See you around, Neal." She was at the door before she stopped and glanced over her shoulder, giving him a wry and slightly sad smile. "Oh, and I still want my Raphael.”

 

**********

 

Neal knew it was his own fault. He hadn’t had any problems with his senses since they’d started working with Blair and Jim, and he got cocky--admittedly his natural state before all this Sentinel business started. He was showing off for Elizabeth. Peter had taken Satchmo for a walk before they started working and he and Elizabeth started fooling around a little bit, just to see what he could do. They prolonged it when he caught snatches of an interesting conversation coming from the neighbors three doors down. He had his hearing wide open when the car alarm went off and it hurt so much he nearly screamed. He couldn’t get it turned down, couldn’t focus through the pain enough so everything was like knives in his skull.

He could hear El on the phone with Peter like she was on speaker next to him even though she went into the next room. He could hear sirens, cell phone conversations and other people’s TV's like they were in surround sound.

“Neal! Peter’s on the way, sweetie.”

Elizabeth wrapped her arms around him and he concentrated on the feel of her hands sliding up and down his back. The rhythm became his focus.

“Take deep breaths like Blair said.”

By the time Peter got there, he was back from the ledge, and didn’t feel like he’d fly off at any moment. He still couldn’t help reaching for Peter as soon as he came into the room. Peter knelt down next to him and Neal curled into him, burying his nose against the side of Peter’s neck and just inhaling and exhaling until everything around him seemed to settle. His hearing was all over the place now, one minute stuck on high the next fading to mute, but it was easier to deal with if he could concentrate on Peter.

Jim and Blair got there right after Peter. Blair knelt next to them.

“Peter’s right here to ground you, Neal. I need you to focus. I want you to think of each one of your senses as a color. You’re in control of the saturation of each one."

Neal nodded.

“Good, now I’m assuming your hearing is very bright right now. Just slide the scale down toward gray tones until you’re comfortable.”

He closed his eyes, visualizing Blair’s words. His hearing slider was all over the place. He mentally grabbed it, and desaturated his hearing until everything returned to normal.

After a few minutes he relaxed and pulled away from Peter who got up and sat on the sofa, running a hand over his face. Neal hated that he'd put that worried look there, again. He knew that with this Sentinel thing it was far from the last time. What he hated most of all, though, was that he couldn’t control it.

“What happened?”

He and El talked over each other, explaining while they sat around the living room, trying to put everything together.

“Neal, we talked about this. You’ve got to be more careful until we get this under control.”

“I know, I’m sorry.”

“No, it was my fault, Peter. I encouraged him.”

Which just lead to Peter glaring at both of them until surprisingly, Jim cleared his throat.

“Hey, you’re still new at this. You’ll get better at controlling it. I fought Blair on _everything_ ,but in the end it all helped. “

“The problem was that you had your hearing wide open when the alarm went off. Using the scale the next time should help with that.”

“It’s weird, but I could focus a little on El, and that helped some until Peter got back.” Neal still had the edges of a headache dancing around his eyes and he’d much rather be lying down but this was exactly the kind of thing Blair was there for.

Blair nodded. “We’ve found that the ‘guide’ effect varies. There are some people that can serve as an anchor to a certain extent and others might as well not be there at all. I think there’s a genetic component involved. You said that you had problems with your senses a couple of time before?”

Neal nodded. “Yeah. Nothing like this though. Just minor stuff”

Blair nodded. “They weren’t on-line fully. From what you’ve said, I would guess that your Kate served as a sort of substitute guide for you, much like Incacha, the Shaman of the tribe that Jim lived with in Peru did for him.”

Neal glanced at Jim sharply. “You had another Guide?”

Jim shrugged but his gaze was as sharp as Neal’s. “I had a guide while I was there. He was a friend and a mentor, but he wasn’t my Guide. Blair is.”

“But you were still able to function, so that means that it doesn’t _have_ to be Peter, right?” Neal knew his frustration was leaking out, but he couldn’t help it. If he’d been at home, he’d have grabbed some clay and worked through it, but this wasn’t his home,and, no matter how many nights he spent in the spare room, it never would be.

Peter sat forward, and the expression which had softened turned glaring again. “You planning on going somewhere? Because you’re still mine for two more years.”

Neal glanced down at his ankle. “Two years is not the rest of my life.” He ignored the hurt and disappointment that flashed across Peter’s face, not easy since he’d spent the last two years training himself to respond to the look and to fix whatever caused it.

Ellison and Sandburg exchanged uncomfortable looks, Ellison’s more than a little confused. Neal had watched the two of them together. He was sure that Ellison couldn’t imagine wanting another guide, but he and Peter didn’t have what they did.

Elizabeth’s expression screamed ‘Oh Neal’ in that sympathetic, slightly exasperated, slightly amused way she sometimes looked at him.

“Kate didn’t work because of some hocus pocus genetics did on us. She worked because she was mine. We belonged to each other. Peter’s not mine and he never will be.” Neal was pretty proud of the big dramatic exit that followed, even though it was partially spoiled because the way his senses were spiking--or whatever Sandburg called it--if he'd slammed the door, the noise would probably have taken his head off.

 

Neal couldn't help but resent the way his whole body relaxed when Peter came out and stood next to him. He might as well be Pavlov’s fucking dog. Peter slid a hand around the back of his neck, fingers warm and strong against his skin. He stifled a shiver of pleasure.

“I spent the first four years of my marriage chasing you, the next four getting birthday cards and origami animals from prison, and the last two with us living in each other’s pockets. Do you really think this is a deal breaker? Do you think anything is?”

Peter looked at him then, completely open, and Neal suddenly understood why Elizabeth occasionally looked at him like he was a cute, but not very bright, puppy.

 

Elizabeth was alone when they came back into the house. “Jim and Blair went back to the hotel. Blair said he’s seen enough Sentinel tantrums to know when to call it a day.”

“Gee, thanks.”

She looked between the two of them and walked over to Neal and reached up, brushing his hair off his forehead before sliding her hand down to cup his cheek. “Oh, but it was a tantrum, sweetie. Just like a toddler, only instead of being upset because you asked for something and didn’t get it, you wouldn’t ask for something you can have. "

He met her eyes, trying to be as honest as he knew how. “I’m sorry.” And he was...for bringing this to her and Peter, for loving them both and not being able to stop--for wanting something that wasn’t his.

Elizabeth pulled him into a tight hug. “I’m not,” was whispered against his ear. When she pulled away, she turned to Peter. “You, go walk Satchmo.”

“But...”

“Go.Shoo!” She motioned him out with one hand, the other clenched tightly in Neal’s sleeve. “We’ve had this talk already.”

 

Elizabeth waited until Peter shut the door behind him before pulling Neal down onto the sofa with her. “Okay, so, there are rules to this. You and Peter work out the work rules, but the home rules we worked out a long time ago. ”

Neal nodded. He didn’t follow rules, but he’d follow these happily. Even having a little bit of them was more than he’d hoped for.

“We don’t lie to each other. We don’t cheat. We don’t hurt each other deliberately and we try our best not to hurt each other accidentally. All of that applies personally and professionally. “

Neal nodded. “I can do that.” He waited for her to continue but she just sat looking at him expectantly.

“Did you want to add something?” Elizabeth finally asked.

“No, nothing I can think of. What about the rules about how much time I spend with the two of you or what what we can and can’t do?”

“Neal we want to be with you just as much as you want to be with us. We’re not...this isn’t a favor. Why would we want to deprive ourselves of anything?” She grabbed his hand, threading her fingers through his. “Sweetie, I told you. You can have this, no catches, no deals just the three of us.”

He opened his senses until he could feel the whorls of her fingertips, the warmth of her skin, and the throb of the pulse in her wrist against his own.

 

**********

They were on the sofa, kissing softly, almost chastely when Peter came back. Neal had never done the whole ‘going steady/making out/worrying about parents’ thing. He hadn't been in high school long enough. He could imagine the scenario though, the way his heart jumped when Peter came in, like he’d been caught by his girl’s dad. He flinched and pulled away almost instinctively, until Elizabeth grabbed him and tugged him back against her.

When he looked over, Peter’s eyes were hot but not with anger. Peter unhooked Satchmo, tossed the leash on the counter and came and knelt down on the floor between them. Elizabeth leaned forward and kissed Peter, lips, teeth and tongues engaging in a way that looked both comfortable and familiar and was hot enough to make Neal catch his breath. When she pulled back, Peter leaned into him and took his mouth, one hand tangling in his hair as their lips met. Peter's kiss was nothing like the sweet, building kisses with Elizabeth. It was a claiming with an underlying dominance that made Neal shiver and lean in eagerly for more.

He couldn’t say he’d never felt this before, this giddy joy of getting what you’ve wanted, of having what you thought you couldn’t. He'd felt it with Kate in those first days. He'd just never thought that he would feel it again.

 

**********

 

Jim was a less patient teacher than Blair and there was the whole thing where he was totally judging Neal personally in addition to the fact that he sort of didn’t trust other Sentinels. All together, it should have been a nightmare, but he was also the only person who knew what it was like for Neal.

“You need to find a way to ground yourself, something you can focus on automatically. I use Blair’s heartbeat. It’s unobtrusive but still a constant.”

Neal could feel himself flushing. “I, ah...Peter’s scent. I’ve been wearing one of his tee shirts when we’re going to be apart, and it helps.”

Jim nodded. “Good. Blair was right, you two are ahead of the game. It helps that the two of you were partners before all this Sentinel stuff popped up. We’ve run into some people trying to deal with the senses, being new to law enforcement and new to each other all at once.”

“Are there a lot of us...of Sentinels out there?” It was still weird to think he was one of them.

“Enough to keep Blair happy and busy, but we’re still a pretty rare item.”

Neal was going to bring up what Blair had said about the government but Jim and Blair weren’t the same and he didn’t know if Jim agreed with, or approved of, the way the government handled Sentinels. Jim had been in the military, where they were taught to follow orders and toe the line. Jim glanced at him intently as if he sensed what Neal was thinking, and maybe he did. There was still a lot of stuff Neal didn’t know about Sentinel senses.

“It’s probably better that way.”

 

**********

 

“Great! You guys are doing a lot better. I don’t know how you worked it out but keep up the good work, and we’ll be out of your hair in a few more days.”

Neal fought back a blush. He was pretty sure Blair knew exactly how they had worked it out and was just being polite. He was surprised to find he’d grown attached to both Jim and Blair. Blair made sense, since he was a Guide, but the affection Neal felt for Jim, who in some ways,reminded him a lot of Peter was unexpected.

Blair had revealed that sometimes Sentinels didn’t connect very well with each other because they got a little territorial. It probably helped that Neal had his own Guide. He had two of them if you counted Elizabeth, and it was very obvious he wasn’t interested in any others. He basically presented no challenge to Jim Ellison at all.

He hated to say goodbye to them when the time came.

Blair grinned at his exaggerated sad face as they were getting into the taxi, and leaned out in to give him a quick hug. “Hey, we expect to see the three of you at the seminar in December. I’ve already spoken to Agent Hughes about it.”

Elizabeth leaned in for her own hug. “So, what’s Cascade like in the winter?”

Blair shook his head. “Cold and wet is my world. It’s beautiful though.”

Jim slapped Peter on the shoulder. “Yeah, and Peter, I’ve got a fishing rod with your name on it.”

Neal thought it was strange how it worked out. It was no surprise that Peter and Jim would bond; it would seem like Peter would be the perfect Guide for someone like Jim. Instead, the universe had other plans. Jim got Blair, and Neal got Peter, and he could only be grateful.

 

**********

 

“Peter you think the two of you are ready to get back out in the field?” asked Hughes.

Peter glanced at Neal and he gave a little smiling shrug. They wouldn’t know until they tried. It would have been nice if he’d been the one Hughes had asked that question to, but Neal knew Peter’s boss was freaked out just a little bit by the whole Sentinel thing, even if it did give him bragging rights at his Thursday golf games.

Peter matched his smile before turning to Hughes. It was _the_ smile. The one that had caught Neal from the beginning. The one full of pride and a little bit of wonder that still made Neal’s heart turn over.

“Yeah, I think we’re good.”

The whole Sentinel thing was still 'need to know', but Peter had been adamant that Diana and Jones needed to know. “They’re my leads and I depend on them to watch out for you when I  
can’t. They need to know what they’re looking out for.”

Neal didn’t mind. The three of them had proven themselves to one another over the past two years. He figured they’d have his back, like he’d have theirs. Even if for no other reason than that they all cared about Peter who would kill them if they didn’t.

 

**********

Peter handed files out to the team. “The Ralston Insurance Company has had several of their high-end clients jewelry replaced by replicas at some point between the time it was authenticated for the policy and the time it was returned to the clients.” He sat down, opening his own folder. “It’s obviously an inside job, but they don’t want to panic their clients.”

Neal looked at the expensive stones on display in the photos. Jewelry had never been his specialty but he dabbled enough to appreciate the skill, and the taste of their perps.

Diana glanced at him with a knowing smirk before turning back to Peter. “So what’s the plan?”

“The insurance company is hosting a charity gala for its clients and requesting that they wear pieces insured by the company. Our job is to get Neal close enough to tell which ones are the real thing and which have been replaced. After that, we can figure out what the common links are.”

He pulled out the list of clients the insurance company had sent and began a run down on the items they had insured.

Neal watched Peter through the briefing while repeatedly twirling his--won fair and square no matter what Peter said--pen between his fingers. Every time he shifted, he felt the nearly invisible bruises left by Peter’s fingers; inhaled the scent of Elizabeth’s shampoo lingering on his skin from their hug that morning. Neal could hear Laura down in records arguing with the on again/off again boyfriend while she filed. He could smell the burnt popcorn from the break room and hear Jackson cursing his lost lunch. It wasn’t just Peter and Elizabeth that were home to him now--all of this was. Mozzie was right. He’d nested. Accidentally, involuntarily but nevertheless true.

“Neal! You with me?”

He looked up to find Peter’s faintly worried gaze directed at him. He smiled. “Yeah. Right here.”

**Author's Note:**

> So many people to thank, so little space. Takes a deep breath. Dameange for tempting me in the first place. Imshady2 who, when I said 'make me stop wanting to do this or give me an idea I can write 10k words on in 5 days said Sentinel fusion' and is my first reader and biggest cheerleader always. Denyce for being an awesome beta, taking the time she didn't really have to do this and being amazing enough to find me a 2nd beta on top of that. Rivestra for volunteering, also when she didn't have much time, and being lovely and wonderful to work with and finally Faradheia for going above and beyond and providing such gorgeous artwork to go with this.Thank you guys so much! Any mistakes or issues left are entirely on me.
> 
> Art Post:[Art](http://faradheia.livejournal.com/19582.html)
> 
> *Deathwolfkitten was kind enough to let me know that the C in CI does not in fact stand for criminal but confidential, making Reese pithy but incorrect--well okay, that's actually all on me. Sorry Reese!*


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